An alignment nozzle jig for centering a coater photoresist arm that includes an alignment nozzle block. The alignment nozzle jig also includes an endoscope holder removably secured to a bottom of the alignment nozzle block, an endoscope, and an alignment mark removably coupled to the endoscope holder opposite the alignment nozzle block. The alignment nozzle jig is retrieved from a nozzle bath by the coater arm and transferred to a center of a chuck in an associated process chamber. Via the endoscope, the coater photoresist arm is aligned with the center of the chuck using the alignment mark.

A wafer processing method of the present invention includes mounting a wafer part on a chuck table, loading the wafer part on the chuck table, spraying, by a spray arm module, a first processing solution onto the wafer part to process the wafer part, spraying, by the spray arm module, a second processing solution onto the wafer part to process the wafer part, drying the wafer part on the chuck table, and unloading the wafer part from the chuck table.

A fitting for an upper brush in a double brush scrubbing chamber of a wafer cleaning system is disclosed. The fitting includes a base plate, a flanged pipe, and a threaded connector. The base plate includes a threaded hole with a stop surface therein and a channel extending from the stop surface through a lower surface of the base plate. The flanged pipe is inserted into the base plate such that the flange at the top end of a hollow tube rests on the stop surface and the hollow tube passes through the channel of the base plate. The threaded connector has a passage therethrough, and engages the threaded hole of the base plate to fix the flanged pipe in place. This structure is able to provide fluid while minimizing particle generation.

A method for processing semiconductor wafers includes obtaining measurement data from a surface of a semiconductor wafer processed by a front-end process tool. The method includes determining a center plane of the wafer based on the measurement data, generating raw shape profiles, and generating ideal shape profiles. The method further includes generating Gapi profiles based on the raw shape profiles and the ideal shape profiles, and calculating a Gapi value of the semiconductor wafer based on the Gapi profiles. The generated Gapi profiles and/or the calculated Gapi value may be used to tune the front-end process tool and/or sort the semiconductor wafer for polishing. Systems include at least a front-end process tool, a flatness measurement tool, and a computing device.

A processing apparatus includes a wafer cassette table, a wafer carrying-out mechanism, a wafer table, a frame housing unit, a frame carrying-out mechanism, a frame table, a tape sticking unit, a tape-attached frame conveying mechanism, a tape pressure bonding unit, a frame unit carrying-out mechanism, a reinforcing part removing unit, a ring-free unit carrying-out mechanism, and a frame cassette table. The wafer carrying-out mechanism includes a Bernoulli chuck mechanism that jets gas to the back surface of the wafer and generates a negative pressure. The gas jetted by the Bernoulli chuck mechanism is inert gas. The wafer carrying-out mechanism jets the inert gas from the Bernoulli chuck mechanism to suppress oxidation of the back surface of the wafer when the wafer is carried out.

The present invention provides a sensor mounted wafer, including: a lower case in which a mounting groove is formed; a circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components having different heights are mounted, and placed in the mounting groove; an upper case in which a plurality of insertion grooves having different depths are formed, and bonded together to the lower case so that the plurality of electronic components are inserted into the plurality of insertion grooves; and an adhesive layer placed between the mounting groove and the plurality of insertion grooves, in which the insertion grooves are formed to have different depths according to the heights of the plurality of the electronic components.

A film forming apparatus includes a vacuum-evacuable processing chamber, a lower electrode for mounting thereon a target substrate, an upper electrode disposed to face the lower electrode, a gas supply unit, a voltage application unit and a switching unit. The gas supply unit supplies a film forming source gas to be formed into plasma to a processing space between the upper and the lower electrode. The voltage application unit applies to the upper electrode a voltage outputted from at least one of a high frequency power supply and a DC power supply included therein. The switching unit selectively switches the voltage to be applied to the upper electrode among a high frequency voltage outputted from the high frequency power supply, a DC voltage outputted from the DC power supply, and a superimposed voltage in which the DC voltage is superimposed with the high frequency voltage.

A processing condition specifying method that includes Steps S31, S32, and S33. In Step S31, a prediction thickness information piece containing prediction values of thicknesses after processing on the substrate W is calculated for each of a plurality of recipe information pieces based on measurement thickness information containing measurement values of thicknesses of the substrate W. In Step S32, the prediction thickness information pieces each calculated for a corresponding one of the recipe information pieces are evaluated according to a prescribed evaluation method and a prediction thickness information piece is selected from among the prediction thickness information pieces. In Step S33, a recipe information piece corresponding to the selected prediction thickness information piece is specified. The measurement values contained in the measurement thickness information indicate a thickness of the substrate W measured before processing on the substrate W.

Plasma applications are disclosed that operate with argon and other molecular gases at atmospheric pressure, and at low temperatures, and with high concentrations of reactive species. The plasma apparatus and the enclosure that contains the plasma apparatus and the substrate are substantially free of particles, so that the substrate does not become contaminated with particles during processing. The plasma is developed through capacitive discharge without streamers or micro-arcs. The techniques can be employed to remove organic materials from a substrate, thereby cleaning the substrate; to activate the surfaces of materials, thereby enhancing bonding between the material and a second material; to etch thin films of materials from a substrate; and to deposit thin films and coatings onto a substrate; all of which processes are carried out without contaminating the surface of the substrate with substantial numbers of particles.

A molding device for producing a molded module. The molding device has one tool part and one further tool part, which together enclose a cavity. At least one of the tool parts has at least one dividing web arranged and configured to subdivide the cavity into at least a low-pressure sub-cavity and a high-pressure sub-cavity. The tool part has at least two feed channels, of which a low-pressure feed channel opens into the low-pressure sub-cavity and has a smaller cross-section at least over a longitudinal portion than a high-pressure feed channel opening into the high-pressure sub-cavity. The low-pressure feed channel is configured to become pressure-resistantly blocked through hardening of the molding compound once a predetermined time interval has elapsed or during the interval. The high-pressure feed channel is configured to conduct a molding pressure into the cavity for a longer time interval than the low-pressure feed channel.